


Loyalty - on hiatus, updates sporadic

by chararii



Series: Scales [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Big Sister Anko, Body Horror, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Gore, Haruno Sakura-centric, Implied/Referenced Torture, Language, Needles, Not a lot but it IS there, POV Haruno Sakura, Sensei Orochimaru (Naruto), Sort of father Orochimaru but it's Orochimaru so you know, Will probably be a bit of a dark fic, sneks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:06:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chararii/pseuds/chararii
Summary: With Orochimaru-sama as both her teacher and caretaker and Anko as elder sister, life is, if not normal, at least good.Until it isn't.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Mitarashi Anko, Haruno Sakura & Orochimaru, Haruno Sakura & Orochimaru & Mitarashi Anko
Series: Scales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952356
Comments: 132
Kudos: 509





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of not-quite spiritual successor/sequel to Kids In The Corner. I am reluctant to call it that since it's not the direction I envisioned that universe to go. So it's kind of an AU of my own AU.
> 
> This won't be a long fic, I don't have the endurance to work on that, but much like Changeling a small number of short chapters. 
> 
> I also realise there's a long gap between Kids and this which I might bridge with a oneshot or two? But really, the years in between can be pieced together through context and the small references in this fic.
> 
> Idk. I just want some sneks. Hope you'll enjoy.

“I'm home.” Silence was her only answer. Not pausing since she was quite used to that, Sakura took off her shoes and hung her jacket into the closet. Feet made no sound as she shuffled across perfectly polished wooden floors. Placing her backpack on a chair because dropping it on the floor got her the silent stare of immense disapproval, she put a kettle on the stove and rifled through the cupboards in search of her favourite blend of tea.

Sighing once when she came up empty, Sakura instead reached for another unlabelled box. If he was downstairs in the labs he was likely busy and wouldn't have remembered to eat or drink. He was like that. Once a faint smell of lemongrass lingered in the air, she poured the tea into two cups before making her way through the house.

Opening a heavy door with her elbow, Sakura walked down the stairs, shivering slightly at the chilly temperatures. The further down she went, the louder the noise became. A faint whirr of various lab appliances, a steady hum of machinery, the clinking of glass, the click and clack of manicured nails tapping a metal surface in thought.

“Ah. Sakura.” She bowed her head as she always did and approached the tall willowy figure clad in a white lab coat with long silky strands of black hair tied into a bun atop his head.

“Good day, Orochimaru-sama.” The sannin didn't look at her when he accepted the cup but hummed quietly which was as much of a 'thank you' as it was a noise of appreciation. Sipping on her own beverage, Sakura let her eyes glide over the notes in front of him. He'd begun instructing her in the basics of his research a few weeks ago after finding her scientific background knowledge up to his standards. Though try as she might, Sakura wasn't able to make much sense of the scribbles and diagrams.

“Did you perform well in your classes?” Grimacing slightly, a notion that didn't go by unnoticed by slitted yellow eyes that shifted in her direction, Sakura didn't answer straight away.

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama,” she replied after a few seconds of silence, holding a faint hope that he was not going to demand details. Her hopes were dashed.

“Sakura.” That was all he had to say, really. The sannin wasn't one to be intimidating through the promise of violence or loud, harsh words like Tsunade-sama. Sakura bit the inside of her cheek at the reminder of the one week she'd been studying under her guidance when Orochimaru-sama had been on a mission. That had been a nightmare and a half.

“I have detention tomorrow.” No, in comparison to his teammate, the dark-haired sannin could express worlds of disapproval, disappointment or even dissatisfaction through the simple use of her name. She'd gotten used to it after five years of studying under him but that didn't make it any easier. He didn't comment though Sakura was fully aware she was meant to elaborate.

“Naruto is a hazard to his environment. He tried to summon a toad since apparently Jiraiya-sama showed him the scroll a few days ago but all he did was cause a miniature hurricane that tore through the classroom and destroyed my essay that I was about to hand in,” Sakura explained with a chagrined expression, brows furrowed in annoyance. She'd worked hard on that paper and had expected a perfect grade which would have cemented her place at the very top of her class. She'd been so looking forward to showing Orochimaru-sama the class rankings.

“I set him on fire.” Not one of her best moments, she was willing to admit that. The sudden fury that burnt like a white flame that ran through her veins at the sight of her shredded essay had removed all conscious thought from her mind.

“Unwise, to antagonise the Yondaime's son.” There it was. The faint disapproval Sakura had been expecting. Deflating slightly, she lowered her head.

“He also keeps calling me snakeface. I'm not even bonded to the snakes and I _don't_ look like one!” Really, that had been what truly set her off. Sakura was no stranger to being bullied, far from that, but that idiot constantly called her names. He wasn't even particularly malicious about it, thought it was funny more than anything else, but as time went on and he didn't stop, Sakura had developed an instant reflex to inflict some sort of violence on the boy. It had gotten her in trouble before. Multiple times.

“Jiraiya should know better than to attempt to teach the boy how to summon. He has the chakra but his control is non-existent and he lacks the patience.” Huffing quietly, Sakura leaned against the counter, out of the sannin's way, and drank her tea. He wasn't happy with her but knowing that she'd disappointed him was all the punishment she was going to get. It was enough.

“You however, your unfortunate temper aside, are almost ready. I will begin instructing you in a few weeks.” Sakura nearly dropped her cup. Wide-eyed, she stared at the man, who was currently bowed over a set of vials while scribbling notes on a scroll.

“If you work on and improve your tendency to mold fire chakra instead of your natural affinity, I may be persuaded to show you the contract sooner.” Starstruck and mute, Sakura nodded rapidly, followed by a quick 'Yes, Orochimaru-sama!'.

“As for your punishment,” Sakura stopped immediately, fingers closing around nothing. Since when did she receive actual punishments?

“you will spend the day with Anko. She's off duty and whatever that woman is up to, her time will be better spent on teaching you a new jutsu or two.” Sakura gaped as her face gradually morphed from terror into unbridled joy. Orochimaru-sama's head snapped towards her and he opened his mouth:

“Don't-” Sakura whirled around, cup forgotten on the counter and raced up the stairs, deaf to the sannin's annoyed:

“-run.”

“NEE-CHAN!” Barrelling into Anko before she had even a chance to turn around, Sakura threw her arms around the woman's waist and buried her face in her coat.

“Get off me, gremlin!” Laughing, Sakura held onto her as Anko did her best to pry Sakura off her without causing her any harm. They were in front of the T&I building and drew more than just one stare. Those clad in grey uniforms however barely paid them any attention; over the years they'd gotten quite used to the sight.

“Is your daddy not teaching you any goddamn manners?!” Pushing one hand into Sakura's face and the other into her stomach, Anko finally succeeded in getting rid of her. Taking a single step backwards, Sakura grinned at the purple-haired woman and stuck out her tongue.

“If he's my father, he's yours too,” she pointed out and Anko's instant expression of regret and horror made her snicker.

“No fu- no way. The old man's not my dad,” the woman protested, causing Sakura to squint at her as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“You only moved out two years ago. You've been living with him since before I even met you. You've lost this argument, nee-chan.” Anko stared for a second, then growled and advanced towards Sakura. Poking her forehead with a single digit, she caused Sakura to stagger backwards and only a quick burst of chakra to her feet prevented her from falling onto the ground.

“Brat.” Reaching into one of her numerous pockets, Anko pulled a small paper bag from its contents. Seconds later, Sakura caught a dango stick that sailed through the air, towards her. Happily munching on the sweet, she joined Anko as she began to walk away from T&I and towards the markets.

“What do you want anyway?” Not perturbed by the woman's brusque manner, Sakura chewed and swallowed before answering.

“Orochimaru-sama wants you to teach me a new jutsu.” Anko groaned and let her head fall backwards.

“How does the bastard always know when I'm off-duty?”

“Language,” Sakura quipped and dodged the lazy swipe aimed for her head. Half the bad words she knew she'd learned from Anko and after echoing her once and receiving the full brunt of Orochimaru-sama's displeasure, Sakura had started calling her out whenever she cursed. Considering Anko was... well, Anko, it was a full-time occupation.

“Heard you set a kid in your class on fire, by the way,” the older woman remarked and grinned at Sakura with a thumbs-up.

“Nice job, brat.” Receiving mixed signals concerning her behaviour was something Sakura had long since gotten used to. One couldn't live under the same roof as Orochimaru-sama and Anko without going through that experience.

“I guess I could show you a few ways to set someone on fire even _better_.”

“I'm not supposed to use fire. Orochimaru-sama wants me to improve my affinity,” she pointed out despite being very interested in Anko's fire jutsu.

“Well my water jutsu are shit but I do know a lightning technique or two....” Anko trailed off, finger on her chin, staring up into the sky before turning her head to grin at Sakura instead.

“Alright. Let's teach you how to zap someone!” Anko was the best.

When Sakura returned home that evening, it was with an aching body and a tired mind. No matter how much she loved Anko, who was an older sister in all but name, she was brutal and unforgiving. Under her guidance, one better learned _fast_. Despite the pain, Sakura's spirits were high. Instead of one or two jutsu, she had three new techniques all of which she could use relatively effortlessly.

Both of the teachers in her life had chakra reserves that exceeded hers but with her control and Orochimaru-sama research and aid, she had refined her use of chakra to the point where she too, could use their jutsu without breaking a sweat. Well, the easier ones anyway.

Yawning once, Sakura made her way up the stairs into her bedroom. Orochimaru-sama was likely still busy with his research. Anko had taken her to dinner earlier and Sakura was tired enough to sleep for a whole week straight. Considering she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow, she'd just retire early. She fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

“...kura.”

“Sakura.”

“Sakura!” With a gasp, Sakura woke up. Breathing hard and eyes wide, she was met by Orochimaru-sama's face as he was bowed above her bed, fingers gripping her shoulders.

“Get up. You have to leave. Now.” Thoroughly disoriented and sleep still clinging to her mind, Sakura blinked twice and sluggishly moved a few strands of hair out of her face.

“...what?” she murmured and yawned, flailing when the sannin pulled her from her bed with one hand, another throwing a backpack at her which she only caught on pure instinct.

“Listen to me,” he said and the sense of sheer urgency in his voice, accompanied by something that came as close to panic as the man ever would, felt to Sakura as if she was being doused in cold water. Yellow eyes drilled themselves into hers. His face was calm but Sakura's gaze dipped to his jaw and she could see the tension in it.

“They're going to take me away tonight.” She opened her mouth to ask, say anything, but his fingers dug themselves into her upper arms and she stilled before she could even begin.

“I have done a number of things the village disagrees with and it seems the Yondaime has decided that enough is enough. I won't let them take me.” Horror and shock overcame Sakura, pooled in her stomach and rose up to her throat, rendering her mute. Images of the metal door that even she was never allowed to walk through, a part of the lab that had been locked and forbidden to access and the late hours, the long days where he would disappear with no trace to be found all flooded her mind. This was not a joke. This was real.

“I will leave the village tonight.”

“You can't!” She'd protested before she could even think. Learning that her teacher and mentor, a man that had become her family, had conducted forbidden and illegal experiments was one thing. Hearing that he was going to leave, another issue entirely. Yellow eyes sharpened as his hands let go. The sannin pulled Sakura's jacket from her cupboard and threw it over her shoulders before placing his palm on her back and pushing her along.

“Go to Anko's. They will interrogate both of you but as long as you're not here when ANBU shows up, there's nothing they can do.” Sakura stumbled through the hallway, unable to keep up with his long stride as she got into her jacket, too used to doing what the man told her to despite her confusion.

“Where are you going? What will you do? Will they kill you? What am I supposed-” She came to a sudden still-stand when a cold hand clamped itself across her mouth. Orochimaru-sama met her halfway, crouched low to the ground until they were eye to eye.

“I was a cruel and demanding teacher. I never shared my research with you and never taught you anything about my scientific methods. I allowed you to move in with me because it was convenient and I had more time to focus on my research. You are close to Anko who took care of you and I never had a hand in your upbringing. You value me as a teacher but not as a human being.” Sakura blinked, opened her mouth but was cut off immediately.

“Do you understand?!” the sannin hissed, prompting Sakura to nod frantically, long wispy strands of pink hair dancing around her head.

“Anko will protect you. Go.” He pushed her in the direction of the door, but Sakura didn't move. She hugged the backpack like a toy.

“Can't you take me with you?” she asked and for a split second, saw genuine surprise flitter across Orochimaru-sama's face before it was gone, replaced by the mask of indifference she'd so gotten used to.

“You're too young. You need to stay.” Her lip began to wobble and she took a deep shaky breath, lowered her head and got into her shoes. There was nothing she could do and this was not the time to lose her mind or even thoroughly acknowledge what was happening. As soon as she was done, the sannin tore open the door and pushed her through it, out, into the cold night air. She stumbled and staggered, cheeks wet and eyes burning, staring at him. Before the door closed he paused, if only for a moment.

“I will come for you.” The door fell shut and Sakura's world collapsed like a house of cards.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sneks?

She couldn't move. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe-

“Kid? Kid! Fucking SHIT!” A pair of arms slung themselves around her midsection just before she was pulled off the ground. Cold air whipped around her head and even the warmth of the body pressed against hers could alleviate the chill she felt deep in her bones.

“What the hell is going on? One of the snakes told me to come and fetch you immediately. I passed fucking ANBU on my way here!” Just then, a loud wail ripped through the silence of the night.

“Sirens? What the fuck-”

“He's gone.” The whisper passed Sakura's numb limbs as they sailed through the air, almost drowned out by the ear-shattering emergency alarm. The second Anko landed on a nearby roof before she could launch off it, the earth shook. With a painful crack, Sakura's head whipped around only to get caught on the bright orange flare that lit up the night sky, originating from the house that had been her home for the past three years. The light reflected in her eyes as it finally dawned on her that life as she knew it, was over, dead and gone, burned to ashes much like her home.

“ _What_?!” Anko gripped her shoulders and forcefully turned her around. Taking in the emptiness in her face, the wet sheen over her eyes and dried tear tracks, her own expression morphed into one of pure horror.

“The _bastard_ told me he was done with those fucking experiments!” Anko cursed viciously, uttering word after word that would have Orochimaru-sama silence her- No. Orochimaru-sama would do no such thing. He wasn't around to do so anymore. Anko interrupted her rant, coming to a dead stop.

“Fuck. _Fuck_. FUCK! We're in deep fucking shit.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, one hand curled into the cloth of Sakura's nightshirt. Her own hands still held onto her backpack which was all that remained of her possessions. It wasn't like she'd ever had much but... she remembered the jade snake Orochimaru-sama had given her as a reward for placing first in the academy mock survival exercise and bit the inside of her cheek to stop the tears. The chances of the statuette having made it into an emergency pack the sannin obviously prepared ahead of time were slim.

“Okay. Alright. Hey, look at me.” Anko grabbed her chin and forced Sakura to look at her. Gone was the Anko she knew. In her place, was someone Sakura barely recognised.

“I work in T&I. I know how this stuff goes. They'll take me first. Not gonna lie, it won't be pretty and I doubt I'll be able to take care of you for a while. You will stay in my apartment, ok? No academy for you. I'll stock up on food and you will stay inside. You got that?” Sakura nodded more out of habit than anything else. With the siren blaring into her ears, the searing heat of the shockwave that originated from her destroyed home washing over her skin and mind is complete disarray, she couldn't think about what she was doing.

“No matter who knocks on the door, you won't open it. My fuinjutsu is decent enough to keep anyone short of the sannin or the Yondaime outside. If they want to interrogate you, and they will, at least they'll have to get you personally.” Anko's words meant little to Sakura. Her head hurt so much it felt like it was being ripped apart and the dizziness that still clung to her senses didn't help.

“We need to move. Can you run?” She felt disconnected from her body and when a few seconds passed in which she failed to answer, Anko bowed down and picked her up, holding her close to her chest. She shivered in the cold night air, the jacket not enough to keep away both the outside temperature and the ice running through her veins. Anko was silent, didn't utter another word during her mad dash to her apartment. Only once did she stop to hide in an alley while an ANBU squad passed overhead. Soon enough, Sakura found herself dropped on Anko's ratty red couch. She slung her arms around her body and didn't take off the jacket.

“Don't move. I'll be back in a few,” the older woman declared before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Silence reigned. Sakura pulled her knees close to her chest and buried her head in between her legs and her chest. She felt numb all over, cold and empty.

'Shock', her mind whispered to her but she barely heard the voice and tried to focus on her breathing.

_'They're going to take me away tonight.'_

_'I will leave the village tonight.'_

_'You need to stay.'_

“Shut up...” she murmured and clutched her head, pulling at her hair.

 _'...need to stay, need to stay, staystaySTAY-_ '

“SHUT UP!” Her voice echoed in Anko's empty apartment and Sakura, whose breath had become laboured, dug her nails into her temples and bit her cheek hard enough to draw blood. He was gone. He had _left_ and he hadn't _taken her with him_. The man who had been her teacher for five years, had become the one person in her life who, despite his reputation and detached coldness, had taken care of her, who had introduced her to Anko, whom she loved more than anyone else in this village-

A sob escaped Sakura's throat and she forced her palms to cover her mouth. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, she told herself and squeezed her eyes shut to prevent her tears from leaking. Crying was weakness, _never show them you're weak, never let them know you're vulnerable_ \- Her mind was filled with images and words, memories of gruelling training sessions, the few words of praise she'd received over the years at the very front of her brain, refusing to be pushed aside.

'Just don't think about it. Don't think about it and ignore it, everything's going to be okay-' Her mantra was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Sakura froze like a rabbit, watery eyes glued to the door. The dark black lines of Anko's fuinjutsu covered every inch of the wood, slowly moving and slithering much like the snakes she was bonded to.

“Mitarashi Anko, you are hereby called in for questioning on the disappearance of Orochimaru.” Sakura stared for one more second, then scrambled off the couch and raced into the kitchen where hidden behind cups and glasses, was Anko's emergency weapon kit. Pouring the satchel over the table, Sakura grabbed a kunai and two exploding tags before hiding behind the couch and waiting with bated breath.

“Mitarashi, open the damn door!” another voice growled and this time, the knock was less than friendly. A faint hiss announced the stirrings of the fuinjutsu, one she had watched the woman apply before. It wouldn't take much more provocation for the seals to activate and spew venomous snakes all over the would-be intruders. Sakura gripped her kunai tighter, the other hand formed into the first seal required to use basic fire release.

“She's in there. I can feel a chakra signature.” A woman, this time. Sakura's heartbeat echoed in her ears as her entire body was tense and she laid in wait, waiting to strike. She had no illusions that she could fend off ANBU. But every single second counted and she did recently master that one genjutsu that Orochi- Sakura shook her head as if to dispell the thought.

“Fucking hell Mitarashi, don't make me come in there!”

“Wait!” The voices outside hushed and Sakura held her breath.

“The last person that tried to enter her place uninvited wound up in the hospital. Without Tsunade-sama's interference Crow would have died.” The fuinjutsu hissed and after sneaking a glance at the door, Sakura found her suspicions confirmed. The snakes were already halfway formed, inky fangs dripping with poison.

“Don't know why I ever expected that bitch to make it easy for us,” the male grumbled and Sakura grit her teeth, chakra already pooling in her wrist.

“Someone get me a seal master so we can-”

“What are you fuckers doing, lingering in front of my door?” Sakura nearly dropped the kunai upon hearing Anko's voice and she instantly uncrouched and ran to the door.

“Mitarashi. You're going to have to come with us.” She pawed at the door handle but the same seals that kept the ANBU outside, trapped Sakura inside the apartment.

“I'm not doing shit before I put my groceries away.”

“Groceries? It's past midnight.”

“I don't think I asked for your opinion, Uchiha.”

“It's Weasel.”

“Get the fuck out of my way.” Sakura backed away when she heard a hand connect to the wood and hurried back to hide behind the couch. A second before the door swung open, she pulled her backpack out of sight. She would recognise the sound of Anko's step anywhere and noticed it was heavier than usual.

Mindful of the ANBU who had a clear view of the living room, Anko didn't pay any attention to Sakura as she stocked the fridge and cupboards with food she no doubt stole. The woman cast a single glance at the weapons littering the kitchen table and hummed quietly to herself. Sakura watched her back as Anko pulled a scrap of paper and a pen from the depths of her cloak.

“Stop lingering, Mitarashi,” one of the ANBU demanded from close to the doorstep. The hissing and soft sound of smooth scales gliding over wood gave away the reason for their reluctance to enter the apartment.

“Bite me, asshole,” Anko muttered under her breath and slid the paper in between two apples. Turning around, her eyes caught Sakura's for a split second.

“If I'm not back before my food expires I'll tear you a new one,” Anko announced as she walked past the couch Sakura was hiding behind and before anyone could answer her, pulled the door shut behind her. The snakes retreated back into the wood as their voices faded. After a few minutes of no noise whatsoever, Sakura's hand released the kunai. It dropped to the floor with a loud clang as Sakura deflated, hand cramped, body aching after having been so tense for so long.

Releasing a shaky breath, she leaned against the back of the couch, head tilted backwards, limbs resting limply at her side. It didn't take long for the adrenaline to fade and be replaced by an overwhelming sense of dread and despair.

“You've been on your own before. You can do this, you can do this, _youcandothis_ -” Her own muttering fell on deaf ears as her breath sped up once more until she ran out of air. Lights danced in front of her eyes and the last thing Sakura felt before passing out was a crippling wave of loneliness and fear that she hadn't faced in years.

Waking up felt like waking from a nightmare. Every single bone in her body ached and when Sakura opened her eyes and realised she'd been sleeping on the floor, she understood why. Yawning once and rubbing her eyes she pulled herself off the wooden tiles and looked around. She couldn't remember having fallen asleep or even visiting Anko. Shrugging, because it wasn't the first time, she shuffled into the kitchen and blindly reached for a cup and some tea.

Anko didn't have much, preferred coffee and alcohol despite having lived in the same house as two tea enthusiasts for ages. Guessing that Anko wasn't around, probably at work, since Sakura hadn't been woken by a poke in the ribs, she prepared breakfast for one. Frowning slightly at the overabundance of food, especially cans and instant ramen that Anko didn't even like that much, she went for some cereal and grabbed an apple from the bowl when her eyes got stuck on a scrap of paper. Curiousity took over and Sakura reached for the item, flipped around and scanned Ako's hasty scrawl.

 _'Stay inside. Don't open the door. If sannin, don't fight. If I don't come back in 3 days, sleep with kunai.'_ What-

Then it hit her. Memories of last night came rushing at her, his parting words, the ANBU, Anko leaving, _alonealonealonealloveragain_ \- This time, she didn't even try to stop the tears. Sliding down the counter, she fell to her knees and sobbed. They were gone and had left her behind. Orochimaru-sama was not going to come back. Anko was taken in for questioning and Sakura didn't dare think about what they would do to her. What if she didn't come back either? Would she have to go back to the orphanage? Back to being ignored and bullied with no one to give a single damn about her?

Sakura didn't know how much time passed, how long she sat there, crying until her body had nothing left to give. The beginnings of her breakfast laid forgotten on the counter, Anko's note a crumpled mess in her fist. The sun was high up in the sky and she wondered if her lack of presence had already been noted. If ANBU were looking for her. If class even took place. She'd seen the orange blaze, seen what Orochimaru-sama had done to cover his escape and probably hide whatever evidence he kept in the locked part of his basement.

Maybe they thought she died in the explosion. Sakura wasn't sure if she would've minded if she had.

Eventually, she forced herself to get off the ground and put away the milk and cereal she was going to eat. She wasn't hungry anymore. Seeking refuge on the couch after pulling a blanket that smelled of Anko out of a cupboard, she reached for her backpack.

Two sets of clothes, her training garb, weapons, medical supplies, dried rations. And a sealing scroll. Inspecting the latter, Sakura tried and failed to open it until she remembered just who had packed these things. Biting her thumb and smearing some blood on the scroll, she was almost instantly drowned by a mountain of paper.

Combing through the scrolls it didn't take her long to realise that they were study materials. Texts, jutsu scrolls, instructions for everything he ever taught her. Elementary jutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu forms, even kenjutsu. He'd left her clothes, basic survival supplies and an entire library worth of education. It was so like him that Sakura was nearly driven to tears once more.

After she caught herself, still sniffling, she re-sealed most of the scrolls, only stopping when she spotted one she hadn't seen before. The paper was yellow and faded with age, thin and frayed around the edges. Sakura carefully unrolled the scroll and nearly dropped it when she saw what was written on it. At the very bottom, in dark scrawled strokes, stood Anko's name. And above it, spidery and elegant, Orochimaru-sama's.

He'd left her his summons. Her hands began to shake ad she dropped the scroll, staring at it, unable to get a grip on her emotions. He wouldn't have done it if he thought she wasn't ready. A summons scroll was beyond precious and never would have Sakura thought that he would actually trust her enough to simply hand it over-

Her body moved without her consent as she nearly jumped off the couch and ran into Anko's office to collect ink and a brush. Harried and out of breath, Sakura flopped back down on the couch, grabbed the scroll and, not allowing herself to think, placed her own name just underneath Anko's. For a moment, nothing happened. Doubt took over her senses as Sakura stared at the scroll, wondering if maybe she'd miscalculated-

“He did tell us that you wouldn't wait.” A small green snake, the exact same colour as Sakura's eyes sat on top of the scroll where a second before, had been nothing. It looked at her and stretched its body until its cold tongue flickered against Sakura's nose.

“Are you worthy then, girl?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sneks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR BRIEF GORE, ESPECIALLY NEEDLES AND BODY HORROR.
> 
> I upped the rating and adjusted the tags but just to be clear. It's a rather brief passage and doesn't mean this fic will turn into a horror/gore fest but the snakes are assholes and this is not a happy go lucky story.
> 
> Proceed with caution.
> 
> Now that that's taken care of: SNEKS. LOTS OF SNEKS.

“You spoke to him? Is he alive? Where is he? Did he say anything else? When is he-”

“Silence!” Sakura's mouth snapped shut. The snake hissed quietly, then uncoiled itself. It was much larger than Sakura had initially assumed, easily capable of wrapping around her torso twice.

“You are impudent, girl. He failed to mention that he hasn't taught you to give my kind the respect it deserves. I am not your servant and it is not my responsibility to answer your questions!” Sakura reared backwards, opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it. Averting her eyes, she slid off the couch and went on her knees, forehead brushing against the carpet.

“I apologise,” she murmured quietly and waited until the agitated hissing of the snake quieted down. Carefully raising her head, she looked at the snake that had once more assumed a restful position on the table.

“Serpents abandon their young directly after birth. He is much like us. You should have expected him to leave you eventually.” The words cut straight to her heart but Sakura tried not to show it, took solace in the fact that her face was still hidden from the snake's view.

“More importantly, you have signed the contract. Now you must prove to us that you are worthy. If you fail to live up to our standards, we shall devour you.” Sakura's eyes went wide as her body froze. The shock wore off as soon as she remembered that he _had_ warned her, months ago when she first asked questions related to his summons. He made the cut. So did Anko. Now it was up to Sakura to impress (and worrying about that gave her something else to think about than the fact that she was once more an orphan). So she raised her head ever so slightly until green met green.

“I accept,” she said and the second the words left her mouth, the snake reared backwards before shooting towards Sakura and sinking its fangs into the side of her neck. Sakura's lips parted in pain and surprise, gaze stuck on the snake's almost hypnotic eyes as the colours around her began to fade and black took over her vision.

Then, she fell.

“ _When dealing with the snakes, what you must remember at all cost...”_

“ _The summons? Cold. Ruthless. They don't ask questions and if they find you wanting your life is forfeit.”_

“ _You will meet them one day and only time will tell whether you're ready or not.”_

“ _Listen, Sakura. Listen and watch.”_

Sakura woke with a gasp. She had a single second in which she was confused and disoriented. Then came the pain. Searing hot agony raced through her veins and Sakura threw her head backwards and _screamed_. Her body spasmed as she clawed at her throat, ribs, chest, legs. She writhed on the cold hard ground, rubbed her bare skin raw on hard and unyielding stone as she screamed and screamed until her throat burned and her voice died.

Thrashing wildly, eyes wide yet not able to see through the thick darkness that clung to her senses Sakura scratched her skin until it bled, banged her head against the ground, tore at flesh, muscle, broke bone after bone, dug her fingers into her eyes, anything, _anything_ to distract from the infernal fire that ate away at her from the inside, that wandered up and up through her lungs to her throat, mouth, nose, _head_ -

“ _You are but a child. Young. Raw. Untested. Your parentage holds you back but with enough time and effort we can remedy that.”_

“ _Hold still. It will sting for a second but in the long run, is guaranteed to help you process your chakra more efficiently-”_

“ _This is entirely optional. Take a few days to think it over.”_

“ _You have decided? Very well. Lay down, close your eyes, and think of nothing at all...”_

Worlds crashed and burned, entire galaxies burst into bits and pieces, flecks of red and green exploding into her face like a freshly burst skull, warm, wet and sticky and with horror she realised that it was hers-

She was helpless, stuck, couldn't move even as she watched the needles come closer and closer until they sank right into her eyes to bury deeper and deeper and no matter how torn and wrecked her throat was, she still screamed-

Swirls and lights danced all around her, accompanied by a cacophony of hisses that lingered in the wind as smooth scales slid over her bare skin and when she looked down she didn't see her own skin but a dark, brilliant expanse of smooth jade that reflected the light and broke it into countless tiny, pocket-sized rainbows-

“ _Your performance is exemplary. Further procedures are not required.”_

“ _Do not test me, child. Your drive to improve is admirable but I will not allow you to risk your health for the sake of experimentation that is not needed.”_

“ _Don't look at the Uzumaki, ignore the Uchiha, never mind the Hyuuga. You are not like them and you never will be.”_

“ _If anything, you are like me. And no clan child alive can hope to match me in combat and come out on top. I am formidable. One day, you will be as well.”_

“A fine one you have brought ussssss.”

“The finessst.”

Sakura floated. She couldn't feel her arms or legs, wasn't sure she even had either. There were no eyes, no ears, no skin, bone, flesh or muscle. She tried to breathe but lacked the body to go through the motion, tried to see but lacked a head to look around, tried to think but was little more than a collection of stars and flecks of blue and green, like a colourful dusting high up in the night sky.

“Hello, child.” She felt rather than heard the voice as it wrapped around her consciousness like string despite her lacking shape and form. It felt cool to the touch but dry, smooth and gentle, endlessly content to brush against her without pressing down until it squeezed her dry.

“You are like ssssso many before you. There issss an endlesssss potential for greatnesssss, a dark and ssssteady thrum of possssibility, a ssssoul that thrivesss in the dark and damp cornerssss of thissss world. You are like her. You are like him. You... are like ussss.” The voice curled around the centre of her sense of self, then expanded, slithered, moved, and left behind pale skin, dense muscle, bone and blood, strands of pink and layers of jade, a long black slit where once was a simple circle.

“I have tassssted and judged and found you worthy.” From one moment to the next there was mass and gravity and Sakura gasped when she fell and her body hit the cold hard ground. Then, her consciousness slammed into her head with enough force to throw her off her feet and when she landed, it wasn't on stone but on something soft and _moving_.

“Open your eyessss child, and gaze upon your new nessst.” Sakura breathed heavily and cradled her head, feeling sick and warm all over, almost like a beacon or perhaps even a torch. Something cold touched her ankle and she flinched, only to still when whatever it was crept up her legs until it curled up against her stomach. It happened again and again until Sakura was covered up to her neck in moving, living...

She opened her eyes and her breath hitched. Right in front of her face was a single yellow eye, at least ten times the size of her entire body and it stared at her, still and unblinking.

“I am Anga, daughter of Manda, the one who keepsss the nessst and judgesss those who are sssent to ussss.” Sakura's body didn't move or react and she was frozen, much like prey in front of a predator. Her breath came shallow and she didn't dare so much as shift her weight, too wary of disturbing the countless snakes of various sizes that had curled up to her body that was so warm it made for a very pleasant resting ground.

“Sssspeak child, and sssay your name sssso your new ssssiblingssss can find you when you call for their aid.” Sakura's lips parted, dry and cracked and she cleared her throat before quietly offering:

“Ssssakura.” This time, she couldn't suppress the flinch and clamped a single hand across her mouth. With growing horror, she noticed that while her tongue was still normal, the tip had sharpened ever so slightly and another experimental use of her name confirmed her fears. Sakura prayed the hiss wasn't permanent.

“Asss my father is bonded to yoursss, and hisss daughter isss bonded to hiss firsst child, so shall my sssissster be bonded to you.” The eye blinked, then disappeared. The body Sakura rested on shifted and she tried very hard not to scramble away from it as it left her behind. Mere moments later, a giant eye the exact same size as the one before blinked into view. This one wasn't yellow. Instead, it was a perfect copy of Sakura's own jade.

“Sssummoner.” This voice was much higher pitched and to Sakura who had no experience with snakes or their ages, it sounded younger despite the body being of presumably similar size.

“H... Hello. It'sss an honour to meet you,” Sakura managed without stuttering after the initial stumble. A smaller snake made its way around her throat and while she couldn't deny just how nervous it made her, she forcefully squashed all instinct that screamed at her to pull the reptile off the most sensitive part of her body.

“I am Ansssa, ssssecond-born of Manda, sssissster to Anga, the world ssserpent, the watcher, the guardian of the gatessss.” Sakura gulped and wet her lips. She had expected to be bonded to one of the smaller summons, as was customary for younger summoners. They had studied contracts in class, learned that as a summoner advanced in age and experience they were honoured by being able to call upon increasingly stronger summons.

“Only few passs the tessst. Mossst sssuccumb to the venom and become a feassst. Thossse who are worthy dessserve to basssk in the glory of our ssstrongessst and mightiessst.” How- Could she...?

“In thisss place we are one. Your mind isss my mind, your tongue isss my tongue, your eyesss are my eyesss.” Sakura released a shuddering breath and took a second to calm her thoughts, focusing on her sense of self and clearing her mind just like Orochimaru-sama had taught her many years ago.

“I am honoured beyond words, Ansssa-sssama,” she eventually replied, voice even and calm, head blessedly void of doubt, fear or anything close to it. The eye blinked and shifted, came closer until Sakura felt cool scales press against her forehead and a long thin tongue getting a taste of her skin.

“My youngessst will ssstay by your sssside until you call for me,” Ansa declared. At the same time, a snake just slightly larger than those still wrapped around Sakura slithered towards her, over the backs of its siblings until it came to a stop in front of her. Sakura looked at the scales, the eyes and recognised it as the one she had initially summoned back in Anko's apartment.

“I will take you back, child. Time isss running out and the vulturesss are looking for you.” Suddenly reminded of the world she had left behind, Sakura's heartbeat sped up and her palms grew sweaty. Orochimaru-sama was gone. Anko was gone. _And they were coming for her_.

“Go, Ssssakura. Go with the blessssing of the Ryuchi Cave.” She stared into two sets of jade eyes, one larger than anything she'd ever laid eyes on, the other just marginally bigger than her own before the latter came closer and closer, wrapped around her throat and squeezed until the green in front of her turned to darkness.

“You knew ssshe wasss going to passss.”

“Indeed.”

In stark contrast to the last time Sakura had woken up, this time was almost pleasant. Her eyes fluttered open to the warm glow of a setting sun shining through the living room window. She rested on the floor, her body warm yet strangely rested, not even a hint of whatever the snakes had put her through remaining.

With a groan, Sakura pulled herself off the ground and rubbed her forehead as she squinted at the orange sky. It had been early morning when she'd left and time was little more than an abstract concept in the summons realms. Just how many hours had passed? Just as she was about to wander into the kitchen to appease her growling stomach, she became aware of the additional weight resting on her shoulders.

“I wish for an egg.” The snake didn't even look at her and while Sakura recognised it, the now much more muted hiss sounded almost jarring to her ears. Like it was lacking and she expected more.

“What's your name?” she asked cautiously and sighed in relief when the hiss was completely absent from her own voice. No one could know that she had signed the contract and was accepted. Sakura, who tried so hard to keep it together and remember Orochimaru-sama's parting words, knew that her young age would only protect her so much. She was young and impressionable after all but even that would lose most of its weight once they learned that he had trusted her enough to let her sign the contract.

“Sira. The egg?” Egg. Alright. She could do that. Still somewhat reeling from the earlier events, she opened the fridge and took a single egg, cracked it open and let Sira slither off her shoulders and onto the counter. Too tired to make a genuine effort, Sakura reached for a simple fruit bar and greedily bit into it. Four bars later her stomach finally settled and with nothing to do, Sakura leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. She knew she should prepare or think of a plan or just do... _anything_. In reality, she was way too tired and spent to even try.

“It has been three days. Your body wasn't found. Your sister is still a prisoner. Those who reek of grandfather's ancient foes are coming to get you.” Sakura startled and stared at Sira, then at the door. Three days and Anko hadn't come back. Before her mind could react, her body had already grabbed a kunai, hands clutching the metal handle.

“Foes?” she asked, voice shaking as her entire body was flooded with energy and adrenaline. Forcefully reigning her chakra in, Sakura shifted her stance. Ansa had said that they were coming. Sira had just confirmed that. They knew where she was and _they were coming_.

“The other old ones. The slug and the toad.” The slug and the toad? But who-

“Haruno Sakura! We know you're in there. Open the door.” Sakura dropped the kunai. She knew that voice. Backing away her fingers had already twisted into the shape for the strongest fire jutsu she knew when her gaze fell on the scrap of paper still resting on the counter and Anko's messy scrawl.

_'If sannin, don't fight.'_

“Hide,” she whispered and waited until Sira had disappeared in the bathroom before rushing over to the desk and sealing every single scroll that still littered the surface back into the dedicated sealing scroll which she then stuffed into her backpack. Throwing it into Anko's bedroom, Sakura listened to the scratching on the door, watched one black snake after another turn to ink and goo, derived of the chakra animated them. Finally, body shaking and fingers twitching, she walked over to the couch and sat down, hands in her lap, back straight, eyes ahead, watching and waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small announcement: I will be focusing on the Naruto kink meme event for the next month that is hosted by the Naruto femslash Discord which I co-mod. That means there will be a bunch of femslash and also smut since I will take the opportunity to try and practise/get started on writing/learning how to write proper smut.
> 
> That means my other projects will take a bit longer to update though I am optimistic that Loyalty will get one or two chapters in the next month. They're rather easy to write for me.+
> 
> Anyway, if anyone is interested, feel free to check out the collection that features the tumblr and other links (and keep coming by for prompt fills.) It's not femslash exclusive btw, it's just that I don't write mlm ships and only rarely het ships.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's fascinating how easy this is to write right now and how little time it takes in comparison to everything else. This shit's wild, guys.

“ _I heard you and Tsunade did not get along well.” Sakura bit her lip and crossed her arms in front of_ _her chest, averting her eyes. Orochimaru-sama sounded calm and composed as always and after three years she knew how little that truly meant. She watched as he carried a set of vials to the fridge before making a few notes on his clipboard._

“ _She's loud and too...” Sakura trailed off, wary of expressing any of her negative sentiments concerning the man's former teammate._

“ _Tsunade has always been a strong personality. She doesn't do well with the quiet understated types. Never has.” Sakura's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't expected Orochimaru-sama to take her side. Not against someone he fought and bled with._

“ _Did you... not get along either?” she asked hesitantly and stilled when he did. He didn't turn around, didn't look at Sakura. Instead, the man hummed once before resuming his task._

“ _Jiraiya and I have always clashed. We found common ground but after the war, we lost sight of each other and went down different paths. As for Tsunade... we used to be close.” Something swung in his voice, a hint of something Sakura couldn't name or grasp._

“ _There is little love lost between us. While I trust them to fight by my side against a common foe, the times when we used to stick together no matter what are long gone.” Sakura stared at the floor, downtrodden despite the nonchalance with which Orochimaru-sama had uttered those words._

“ _That's a shame,” she murmured quietly and missed the way the man flinched ever so slightly._

“ _Enough about that. Come over here and tell me what you have studied while I was gone...”_

One by one the fuinjutsu snakes dissolved, adding to the ever-growing pool of ink on the floor in front of the door. Sakura's fingers twitched and her breath came fast and shallow. Closing her eyes for a second, she did her best to go through her breathing exercises. Calm body, calm mind.

“Unshaken. Unbroken. Resolve,” she mumbled quietly. She couldn't be emotional or nervous or even scared. Without a clear mind, Sakura would forget what Orochimaru-sama had told her. Just a teacher, never more. The exact moment her eyes popped open, the last snake turned to ink and the door handle turned. Sakura met their eyes unflinchingly, face schooled in a neutral expression, hands gently resting in her lap and her knees touching each other, feet on solid ground.

“ANBU's been looking for you, kid.” She blinked once but didn't reply, too busy fighting the itch to arm herself. Jiraiya looked around the apartment, let his gaze sweep across the couch, the kitchen where the remnants of Sira's egg were still visible to the slightly ajar door to Anko's bedroom.

“You alone?” he asked and while Sakura still refused to answer, she gave a single sharp nod. The so far quiet woman to his right approached Sakura with a single hand in front of her body, enveloped in a faint green glow. Sakura couldn't control her reaction, taking a step backwards and batting away the slug princess's hand.

“I'm fine,” she said before clearing her throat and taking another step backwards for good measure. The blonde frowned and opened her mouth to protest when the man beat her to it.

“Those are some nasty seals Mitarashi put on her door. Almost killed an ANBU. It's not standard procedure for us to collect small children for interrogation but she forced our hand.” Whether Jiraiya meant to appeal to Sakura's good conscience or if he was looking for her to jump to Anko's defense, Sakura's lips were sealed shut. It had been three days and if Anko wasn't here, she was still being held in the bowels of T&I. Whatever the reason, Sakura would rather die before she accidentally incriminated her elder sister.

“I have to give you a brief check-up. A clean bill of health is mandatory for minors before they can be taken in for questioning,” Tsunade stated, causing Sakura's head to snap around with an audible crack. Suddenly she was hyper aware of the puncture marks hidden by her hair and the venom, traces of which still _had_ to be in her system.

“I'm fine,” she repeated and sidestepped another attempt, keeping firmly out of the woman's hands' reach. Her brow twitched and Sakura watched the stirrings of her infamous temper which caused her body to seek more distance all by itself.

“Don't make me come over there, brat,” Tsunade bit through clenched teeth and despite herself, Sakura knew defiance took over her features in a silent challenge. She shouldn't antagonise the sannin, knew how stupid she was being, but something about those two and the lack of her own family made her forget all about the plan she'd tried so hard to adhere to.

“As difficult as the bastard ever was.” The blonde's words were quiet and barely audible but Sakura caught them nevertheless and, in a move she would later come to regret, gave in to her instincts and _hissed_. Both of the sannin stilled and when two sets of eyes moved slightly to the side to where Sakura's neck was exposed, no longer covered by long strands of pink hair, their faces turned grim. Faster than Sakura could react, faster than she could even see, the man's form blurred and shifted. Then, darkness.

“...fresh. No more than a few days old.”

“So she has signed the contract?”

“She's still alive. Katsuyu told me that the snakes eat those who don't pass their test.”

“Mitarashi was lying then. He wouldn't have left her his contract if she hadn't mattered to him.”

“Jiraiya, go deal with her. Tsunade, you will stay with me and the girl.”

“Yes, Minato.”

“Yes, Yondaime-sama.” Sakura didn't dare breathe. One set of footsteps retreated while two more approached. She kept her body still, focused on the rise and fall of her chest, ignored the itch to pull at the metal that rested around her wrists and ankles as she sat on a cold metal chair.

She hadn't caught most of their conversation, slowly regained consciousness just in time to hear them confirm that she signed the contract and that Anko had been covering for her – and Sakura had possibly ruined whatever alibi her sister had come up with. Not the time, she reminded herself and felt two weighty stares on her, two sets of eyes ready to catch even the tiniest of movements.

“I know you're awake.” Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from flinching but the jig was up. Slowly, she opened her eyes only to be met by brown and blue respectively. If there was anyone else in the room Sakura couldn't see them, but the Yondaime standing next to the female sannin, both having their arms crossed in front of their chests, was already enough for her to deal with.

“I've only met you once. On the day of my son's first day at the academy. It was your hair that I noticed. Back then, I didn't think I would one day come to question you on your mentor's disappearance.” The Yondaime's voice was calm if slightly cool. He had no need to try and appear threatening. Everybody in this village was fully aware of what he could do to someone, if only he wished. Sakura tried very hard not to think about that.

“You're young and I want to believe that you're not complicit in any of his crimes,” the man continued, his blue eyes drilling themselves into hers. Sakura met his gaze, if barely and with sweat running down her back.

“But there is the matter of your bond to the snakes. The fact that you took three days to resurface. Mitarashi claiming that you know nothing and were closer to her, had little personal relation to Orochimaru.” Sakura held her breath.

“But a man like Orochimaru does not hand his contract to a child that means nothing to him.” She had ruined it. She'd gotten ahead of herself, too enthusiastic, too desperate, too eager... if only Sakura would have waited they wouldn't have been able to hold the contract against her. She had _ruined_ it.

“You're still a student. You can still be resocialised and if you cooperate you will be exempt from any and all consequences. It's in your best interest to answer our questions.” The man was kind and the way he looked at Sakura with his brilliant blue eyes, quietly urging her to accept his offer drew Sakura in. She stared at him, the warmth he exuded, the quiet reassurance that everything would be alright-

“I want to see Anko.” Sudden clarity washed over her like a waterfall and the next time Sakura looked at the Yondaime the twinkle in his eyes had vanished, all traces of his earlier warmth gone. She narrowed her eyes and ignored the slight itch on her neck just where Sira had bitten her, days ago.

“There is a chemical imbalance in your blood. I took a sample and analysed it in the labs. Were you aware that he experimented on you?” Sakura bit her lip to stop another hiss from escaping her throat as she stared at the blonde sannin, fury running through her veins. Trying to turn her against the man who had taken her in when she had been nothing, an orphan destined to scrape at the bottom of the barrel for the rest of her life and a woman who had always protected her and treated her like a younger sibling from the day they first met... _cowards_.

“I understand you, you know. I am an orphan myself. Jiraiya took me in and treated me like his own son. He gave me everything I ever had. Were he to be accused of treason and forced to flee the village I would take his side, no matter what.” Sakura bit her tongue even harder and held the man's gaze, lips sealed shut. The two in front of her exchanged a single look before the Yondaime opened his mouth once more:

“If you answer my questions, I will allow you to see Mitarashi.” Sakura barely noticed the blonde sannin's departure, too busy gaping at her kage before she remembered to control her expression. He had her. He had her and Sakura didn't know what to _do_ -

“Did you know Orochimaru was conducting illegal experiments on children?” Sakura's heart ached but she refused to let it show. He was her _father_. He was her father and _she owed him_ -

“No,” she answered truthfully because what he had done to her hadn't been illegal, she had consented, had even begged and pleaded until he did it again. He had refused after the second time, looked out for her, didn't want to irreparably damage her-

“Did Mitarashi know about his criminal activities?” Sakura exhaled, calmed her mind and thoughts to the best of her ability.

“No,” she replied, banishing the memory of Anko cursing about how he had told her that he no longer did those experiments into the darkest and deepest corner of her brain.

“Did he instruct you in his research methods, general science, anything that goes beyond jutsu training or physical conditioning?” Sakura thought of long nights in the lab, his smooth voice sharing one fact after another, analysing lab results, learning more about the human body than she ever thought she would-

“No.” Then, followed question after question. Sakura found herself sharing every single detail of her training schedule, explained the scope of her abilities, told the man all about her elemental jutsu, her affinity, the supplementary genjutsu studies, endurance and speed training, the practise sword she'd just started working with.

She gave lies and truth in equal measure and did her best to focus on the cold and detached aspects of Orochimaru-sama, how distanced he was, and never once mentioned the gifts she had received on her birthday or when she placed first in various competitions. Neither did she talk about the personal jutsu he'd shared with her, or even the quiet nights the three of them had spent on the porch, drinking tea and staring into the night sky not speaking a single word.

“He was my teacher. He even let me live with him because it was easier that way. I am... grateful.” The words passed her lips and tasted bitter, wrong, worse than any of the lies she'd told. He deserved better, Sakura thought, and she hated having to deny all that was so... _good_ about the only father figure she'd ever had.

“Is that all you are? Grateful? No one would blame a child for being attached to someone who took care of them. I just want to make sure that you haven't suffered from his less than desirable tendencies. I won't have you imprisoned or even discharged from the academy. But you are young and it is my responsibility to make sure you will be alright.” The Yondaime sounded like an overly concerned parent and Sakura, who never had one of those in her entire life, didn't trust it one bit.

“He was a good teacher. I ate and slept well and he didn't harm me but he wasn't more than that either. He was my teacher.” The words sounded hollow to her own ears and Sakura prayed that she still managed to convince the man in front of her. She avoided his eyes and quietly waited for him to render his verdict.

“Very well. You held up your end of the bargain. If you wish, I will take you to Mitarashi.” She couldn't nod fast enough as her earlier numbness faded only to be replaced by an eagerness that caused her fingers to shake. She barely noticed the ANBU that unlocked her shackles and stumbled when she got to her feet too quickly.

The Yondaime caught and steadied her but Sakura paid him no mind. Instead, she almost rushed forwards, hovering anxiously near the door until the kage opened it and led her down various sets of stairs. The air grew colder and the shadows darker and with them, Sakura's fear and worry. She wasn't sure in what state she would find Anko in, didn't know how she would react, was terrified to see her harmed-

“She's fine.” Sakura heard the Yondaime but didn't listen. Even as he opened a thick metal door, she didn't pay any attention to what he was saying. .As soon as the door swung open she rushed inside, collided with the blonde sannin but brushed past her, only come to a dead stop once she finally, _finally_ laid eyes on Anko.

“Hey kid,” Anko said with a crooked grin as Sakura's eyes grew wide and her expression turned horrified. She didn't have any outward injuries but Sakura was not an idiot and the presence of the legendary healer belied her seemingly unharmed exterior. Anko was weak, thin, and slouched over a metal table. She was chained to the ground, a black chakra suppressing seal covering the side of her neck, ugly dark tendrils slithering across her skin.

“Nee-chan...” Sakura breathed and couldn't stop the water forming in her eyes as she stumbled closer and threw her arms around Anko's shoulders, buried her face in the crook of her neck and shook as fear, exhaustion and everything else broke free from the prison she had sealed her emotion inside.

“I'm ok, kid. Don't worry,” Anko murmured and rubbed her cheek against Sakura's forehead. Sakura clung to her form, leaving wet spots on her dirty shirt, fingernails digging into almost icy flesh.

“I heard you made it,” Anko whispered then, so quietly Sakura barely heard her.

“Good job. I'm proud of you.” Sakura clung to her even harder and cried until they took her away, locked the door, and she was alone once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minato is a father, y'all. That's all I can say. Also in case it wasn't clear, the reason the sannin came to collect Sakura was that Anko's protection seal is absolutely vicious and short of Jiraiya or Minato nobody could unravel it without potentially getting themselves killed. Tsunade came along to vet Sakura and check her health.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few days into relying on my shitty mobile connection for internet access and I want to hang myself. Writing is hard without the proper music.

Sakura clutched the strap of her backpack as she strode forward. Her palms were sweaty and her left hand twitched so she hid it in the pockets of her jacket. A cold gust of air ruffled the hem of her haori and not for the first time today she wished she had worn warmer pants instead of the shorts and fishnet combo she was so used to.

“Don't dawdle.” Sending the back of the man in front of her a hateful glance, Sakura sped up. Less than a minute later the gates of the academy came into view and all her earlier apprehension came back full-force. It had been three days since she was questioned. Three days since she last saw Anko. Three days since they tried to take her to the orphanage only for her to nearly burn down the apartment complex until the Yondaime himself intervened. She was allowed to stay at Anko's. Under supervision. Glaring at the chuunin once more, Sakura bit her lip and dug her nails into her palm.

“Be at the gates five minutes after class has ended. Don't make me wait,” the man demanded as soon as they entered the courtyard only to disappear in a swirl of leaves before Sakura even had a chance to reply. Not that she would have. The heaviness in her stomach increased with every step she took. She had never been liked. Always called weird, odd, or even creepy. They had bullied her long before she even met Orochimaru-sama.

Long before their house had exploded in a massive explosion, the sirens had woken up the entire village, her teacher and guardian had fled in the dead of the night. Sakura had been absent for days, Anko was still being held captive, _what was she supposed to do-_

“You okay?” Sakura flinched at the sudden voice. Her head whirled around and she spotted a girl her age with brown hair standing a few feet away.

_'Whatever you do, never show them that you're vulnerable. Weakness is what gets you killed.'_

Sakura straightened herself and gave a sharp nod before turning around and leaving the girl behind. Never show weakness, he had said. She had nobody in her corner. It was just Sakura. Nobody would protect her so she would have to take care of herself. She could fall apart when she was out of sight. Not here. Not now.

Class was already in session. She knew this because the chuunin who had been tasked with escorting her to the academy had run late. So no matter what Sakura did, she was going to be the centre of attention.

 _Deal with it_ , she told herself, took a deep breath and pulled her hand out of her pocket. She entered the building, took a left, a right, then another left. She could already hear Iruka-sensei, caught enough to know they were revising theories Sakura had studied years ago. She'd never had any hobbies and all her waking hours had been spent training or studying under-

Taking a deep breath, Sakura steeled herself, straightened her back and squared her shoulders. Nothing could touch her. _Nothing_. She opened the door and stepped inside the classroom. Silence. Complete and utter silence. All eyes were on her and while they made her skin itch, Sakura looked at her teacher, then bowed, upper body barely tilted forwards. Just enough to be respectful.

“I apologise, Iruka-sensei. My escort ran late.” Her voice woke up the rest of the room and while Sakura didn't bother listening to the hushed whispers, the bits and pieces she caught were enough.

“-thought she died.”

“-in T&I-”

“Father told me-”

“Snake.”

“Traitor.”

“Weirdo.”

She flinched, if barely, but still refused to look at any of them, silently challenging her teacher to do anything other than chastise her before letting her go.

“Ah. Sakura. I was told you would return to the academy today. I will have a talk with your escorts. They should know better than to not arrive on time.” She couldn't say she had ever been fond of anyone that wasn't Anko or Orochimaru-sama but Sakura certainly appreciated that Iruka-sensei was at least willing to pretend she wasn't the ex-student of a dangerous criminal and fugitive. Others were not quite that lenient.

“Iruka-sensei are you sure it's okay for her to be here? Shouldn't she be, I don't know, watched? Who knows what she was up to when-”

“That's enough, Ami! Sakura is a young student, and as much a victim in this situation as those who were injured in the explosion. You should know better than to judge someone by the sins of those they were close to.” Sakura stared at the man, perfect composure slipping for a moment. She had not expected the man to go the extra mile and actually speak up for her.

“Go on, Sakura. Take your seat.” She did as told and kept her head high while studiously avoiding eye contact. She refused to show weakness but that didn't mean she had to make it harder on herself.

Class was nothing short of a nightmare. Nobody paid attention, everyone was too preoccupied with talking about her, staring, or in Ami's case making outright insulting gestures. Sakura took it in stride, let it wash over her, vowing to stay strong until she was back where it was safe. Minutes felt like hours and by the time class was officially over she felt like she'd aged twenty years.

Faster than anyone else, she packed her belongings and in her eagerness to get out before anyone, especially Ami, could try and back her into a corner, Sakura forgot all about how she wasn't supposed to know techniques as advanced as the shunshin. The last thing she saw before disappearing and reappearing close to the gates were Iruka-sensei's wide eyes.

Leaning against the back wall of the building, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then another. A third. The bell rang and Sakura marched towards the gate where the surly chuunin that had been assigned to her was already waiting.

“You'll do your homework, eat, and go to bed,” the man declared without looking at her and Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from baring her teeth. Baring them in aggression had become an unfortunate habit, no doubt a side effect of her recent bonding with the snakes. Sakura didn't mind. Everyone else did. She'd rather not give them any more reasons to treat her like the pariah she was.

She made her own dinner in private while the chuunin sat on Anko's couch, busying himself with one of the orange books Anko tended to set fire to whenever she got the chance. Sakura barely resisted the urge to follow her example. Quietly nursing her meal, she took a look at the assignment, biting her tongue sharper than before.

The pain grounded her, kept her from showing the anger and sheer fury that sat just underneath her skin. Telling herself over and over again to keep going, that everything was fine, to calm the hell down because they would not hesitate to send her to the orphanage if she didn't-

She somehow passed the time before she was forced to go to bed without setting anything on fire. Allowing Sira, who had taken to hiding under Anko's bed, to curl around her arm, Sakura brought the snake closer to her face until the scales rubbed against her cheek. Taking whatever small comfort she could get, she closed her eyes and repeated her breathing exercises until she fell asleep. The few tears she shed went unmentioned by both of them.

Time passed. A day. Two. Three. Then, a week. Two weeks. And no sign of Anko. Sakura had taken to hiding inside her own head, compartmentalising to the best of her ability, meditating before she left the house and before she went to sleep. The chuunin had tried to put a stop to that. She'd bitten him. The new one minded his own business.

She wasn't quite sure how she managed to go through day after day, but somehow she did and Sakura, who had been taught to question everything and anything, didn't question this. She didn't speak up in class, didn't answer when she was called on and eventually, Iruka-sensei learned to stop. During training exercises, everyone refused to partner with her and she sparred with the assigned teacher instead.

After day three, she stopped sleeping. Under Sira's guidance, she practised making use of the benefits the bond supplied her with. Everyone was different, Ansa's youngest had explained. Some minor abilities, such as the ability to poison someone with a simple bite were shared amongst all summoners and it came natural to Sakura, who tended to do so on instinct rather than on purpose.

She'd poisoned her own meals more than once, not that if affected her much. It wasn't much, just enough to make their prey sick and momentarily paralyse it but Sakura, who had seen the effects on the chuunin, was more than happy with it.

What her personal ability was, however, Sira couldn't tell her. _He_ was able to elongate his limbs and mimic the anatomy of a snake. Anko could summon a small nest of poisonous snakes without spending chakra or using any sort of jutsu whatsoever. Sakura... meditated. For hours, to try and find the mark as Sira had called it, that was hidden somewhere within her pathways and, upon being infused with chakra, would trigger the ability itself.

Sira had advised her to not go looking for it with a chuunin a single door away from her. Sakura didn't heed her warning. Not that it mattered. Her efforts proved fruitless. Yet she kept trying, every day, every night. It was better than having to think. Sakura had come to hate thinking.

After a week, she unsealed some of the scrolls _he_ had left behind. In the past few years, she'd stopped paying attention during class in favour of studying whatever study material he had handed to her. The teachers had not been thrilled but aware of it, and none had dared to try and raise the issue with him. Now that he was gone, and had taken all of the protection his status had supplied her with with him, Sakura sat in class, staring at her desk and doing little else.

Yet at night...

“I don't get it,” she murmured quietly. Her night watch was no doubt busy with whatever it was they were doing. No matter her teacher, to them she was little more than a child. They wasted no chakra enhancing their ears to try and catch her doing something she shouldn't.

“It is most likely very simple.” If Sakura hadn't lived with him for years she would have taken offense at Sira's personality and general behaviour long ago. As it was, she found it surprisingly hard to take even a tiny margin of the overwhelming fury that pooled in her stomach and send it the snakelet's way. Abrasive and arrogant or not, Sira's mere presence made breathing just a little easier.

“How am I supposed to both harmlessly accept foreign chakra and channel it through my body to send it back at my attacker, all without frying myself?” The scroll was marked with a single circle, which declared it an A-Rank technique. Sakura knew it was way out of her reach for now. But she had gone through the simple ones. Simple ones she understood but wasn't able to practise due to the ANBU hiding on the roof of the building that Sira had pointed out days ago.

“It is mother's specialty.” Ansa's... specialty? Sakura bit her lip, no longer flinching at the brief sting of her sharp canines piercing the skin. She'd have to stop doing that eventually. Casting a single look out of the window, Sakura frowned upon seeing the faint hint of light creeping up on the horizon. She'd gone through another night without sleeping. Good. Sleep meant dreams. Dreams meant nightmares.

“Can you please ask her about it?” Sakura mumbled, nibbling on her lower lip before swiping her tongue over the puncture marks, taking the bitterness of her venom and swallowing it. She didn't even do that consciously anymore.

“Once the bird leaves its perch, I shall.” Sira hated having to leave the apartment while the ANBU was near. Even though the snake didn't comment on that, Sakura caught on to it nevertheless. For a summon that liked to pretend it wasn't all that bothered by anything, Sira was loyal to a fault. Without quite noticing it, Sakura shifted a little until her bare skin touched the snakelet's cool scales.

“Thank you.” They didn't exchange any more words. Sakura kept studying the same passages over and over. She didn't honestly expect to somehow miraculously crack the secret surrounding the technique that eluded her. But she had to keep busy. As long as she kept busy, she was fine. And she had to be fine. At all cost.

An hour later the chuunin banged his fist against Anko's bedroom door. Sakura had five minutes to get ready so she re-sealed the scrolls, once more placed the backpack in Anko's secret stash that, as it turned out, could only be accessed via dripping some snake venom onto the seal that hid it from sight. Sira had been very helpful in that regard.

Exchanging one set of clothes for another, Sakura waited until Sira had slithered underneath the bed before opening the door and resigning herself to another day in what had become her personal hell. Breakfast was the same as always. The walk to the academy was the same as always. Class was the same as always.

What waited for her upon exiting the academy, wasn't.

“...nee-chan?” Sakura stopped dead, unaware of the whisper that had escaped her mouth. Her backpack dropped to the ground with a thump as her eyes were stuck on the woman that stood in front of the gates. The chuunin was nowhere in sight and the only other person present wore a mask.

“Hey, kiddo.” She tried to keep her composure. It lasted for a second. She had flung herself at the older woman before she even noticed it, had slung her arms around the too thin waist, pressed her face against too bony ribs. Salt streamed down her cheeks but she didn't care as she dug her fingers in the familiar rough cloth of Anko's mantle, breathed in the familiar smell of smoke, dango and ink.

“Missed you too.” It was barely a whisper, just loud enough for Sakura to hear. Her heartbeat so hard it threatened to burst out of her chest as her breath ran ragged and her fingers wouldn't stop shaking. Anko was back. Anko was here, alive, fine, _she was okay and Sakura wasn't on her own anymore_ -

“Quit loitering, Mitarashi. You're under house arrest.” Sakura's nails clawed themselves into Anko's coat but the older woman increased the pressure of her hug, just for a second, but it was enough for Sakura to understand that she was supposed to back off. Reluctant to let go, Sakura took a step back and dried her tears before grabbing her backpack.

“Still angry about the snakes, Crow?” The levity in Anko's voice did a poor job of hiding the bite in her words, a sharpness Sakura had never heard before. Yes, Anko was all rough edges and tough love, but the sheer vindictiveness that marked every syllable was new. The mask didn't react, merely stared until Anko ignored him in favour of looking at Sakura.

“Well, kid. Looks like it's just you and me now.” Sakura clenched her jaw and reached for Anko's hand, nearly crushing it. She thought of the paleness of her sister's skin, the weight she had lost, the bruises her shirt only barely hid from view. If it was just Anko and Sakura against the world, then Sakura vowed to stop at nothing to make sure nobody could take her sister from her ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I love the idea of Anko and Sakura vs Konoha.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big snek, smol snek, baby snek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this, another chapter three hours after the last? I am avoiding going to bed.

“What did they do to you?” To her credit, Anko barely reacted. Sakura caught the way her ear twitched but that was it. No flinch, no clenching of her jaw, nothing.

“You don't wanna know, kid.” She was right. Sakura didn't want to know what her older sister had gone through, didn't want to hear about how she had gotten those bruises, _really didn't want to_ learn about the origin of those faded pink scars. But she had to. She had to because they had taken Anko, not her, and she had signed the contract, had ruined her own alibi, hat let them know that Anko had lied. She was responsible for this. So she _had to know_.

“Tell me.” She dug her nails into her palms underneath the table and stared at the chipped wood from where Anko used to play with kunai when she was bored. Now, those same kunai were on her person at all times, always within reach.

“Interrogation. Normal questioning, then a Yamanaka. I'm not an idiot. They found the tattoos but couldn't remove them. So it was torture instead.” Sakura's palm bled as her nails breached skin. Of course, they had tortured her. Never, not for even a single second, had Sakura believed that they wouldn't have. But to hear it with her own ears, listen to the blandness that was Anko, the detachment. As if it didn't even bother her when they both knew it _should_.

“Tattoos?” she asked because it was better than losing her cool. Anko was different, Anko was wrong, had changed the second the door of her apartment had closed behind them and the mask was out of sight. She looked up at the sound of rustling clothing just in time to watch Anko raise her hands to her neck and tilt her head.

Some of her hair was missing, had been shaved off, just on the nape of her neck. If she'd worn it in her usual ponytail Sakura would have noticed immediately. The patch of bare skin was covered in dark lines and spirals in a pattern she'd never seen before and, grateful to have something to focus on other than her anger, she leaned closer.

“A long time ago the bastard was into some dodgy shit so I sat down to come up with a way to make sure I could always keep his secrets. They seal away memories into a place only I can access. Kinda forgot about them when he claimed he stopped messing with that stuff but guess they came in handy after all.” Sakura flinched at the mention of him and Anko's choice of words. She'd shown a sliver of emotion, let some of the fury she too, must have felt, come to the surface. Anko blamed him. Sakura blamed Konoha.

“...do you hate him?” she asked then, quieter than she wanted, too meek and too shy. Her sister didn't answer for a long time until a single sigh escaped her and her shoulders slumped.

“Don't think I ever could. He's a bastard but...”

“Yeah.” Sakura understood. Knew what Anko didn't say because she felt it too. He had abandoned them, thrown their lives into chaos, been responsible for turning the village against them and then having them suffer the consequences of his actions. But he'd also taken them in, two orphans with no future. He'd taught them, sheltered them, in his own way cared for them.

“I miss him,” she whispered, her heart giving a painful squeeze at the admission. She'd forced herself through the past two weeks but now that her watchdog was gone and Anko was here, Sakura found it hard to stay in her headspace. While she had always, to some extent, pretended around him, acted the way he wanted her to be and done her best to show the side of her he appreciated most, Sakura had never done that around Anko.

“It's ok, kid. I get it.” An arm slung itself around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her closer. She buried her face in the crook of her sister's neck and breathed her in, shifted closer until she practically sat in her lap and clung to her so tight her own arms hurt.

“Life is gonna be different now. We're his students, and that's all we're ever going to be. We will never be able to leave his shadow and his name will taint yours for the rest of your career.” Sakura stiffened as Anko murmured, hands gently stroking Sakura's back, lips moving close to her ear.

“He has trained you for this. Me too. He's always been a distant cagey bastard but he taught you to be distant as well. He taught you to be cold. He taught you to be mean because I'm willing to bet he knew that one day, he would have to leave.” Sakura thought of the backpack he had prepared, the years worth of education he had crammed into a sealing scroll, the contract he had left her. She wondered for how long he had held onto that emergency pack and how long in advance he had collected all these scrolls, texts, and jutsu.

“They're not going to trust you. Your teachers, your classmates, hell even your team, and you sensei in two years. They might have, eventually, but everyone knows you signed the contract. Everyone knows you're a snake.” She remembered Ansa's jade eye, so much larger than she herself, and Sira who she felt a few metres away in Anko's bedroom, remembered the puncture marks on her neck that had already faded but still stung when she rubbed the spot. She swiped her tongue over her teeth and remembered her fangs.

“And what do snakes do?” Sakura untangled herself from Anko and met her gaze, jade to brown, wet tears tracks on her cheeks. Her expression hardened as she rubbed her cheeks and stopped crying, staring her dead in the eyes.

“Survive,” she replied and the way Anko's lips parted, revealing her own fangs, was everything. The spark that made her who she was had returned and banished the apathy, the deadness, everything Sakura so hated. Anko was right. He had raised both of them to be strong, to not give in to their fears or worries. Sakura had to grind her jaw and clench her teeth and bite herself to the top. And Anko would be right there with her. Squeezing Anko's hand one last time, Sakura gave a small nod and internally steeled herself. Anko's faint grin widened.

“I'm under house arrest for fuck knows how long, two spooks watching the building at all times. One of them's a sensor. But-” Anko gently pushed Sakura off her, got to her feet and opened a drawer that was meant for knives but had been repurposed into a supply stash long ago. Pulling a single brush from its depths, Anko twirled it in her hand before reaching for a pot of ink and moving it close to her mouth.

“-both of those idiots are Uchiha and Uchiha couldn't sense fuinjutsu even if they tried.” Pressing a finger against her left canine, Anko let exactly five drops of poison fall into the pot. Biting her thumb and adding some blood to the mixture, she dipped the brush into the ink and began drawing symbols on the wall closest to her.

“I have no idea what the bastard is planing or if he's even planning anything at all but I'm responsible for you now and that means teaching you everything I know. Well, apart from the fuinjutsu. You're science smart, not seal smart. You'll have to rely on the snakes for that one.” Sakura watched in awe as Anko's hand raced across the walls with a speed she could scarcely believe. Every single line, symbol and swirl was clean and deliberate. Sakura had never seen her actually do any fuinjutsu. While Anko was widely known to be somewhat of an expert, she couldn't help but wonder if anyone truly knew what she was capable of.

“Are snakes good with science?” she asked, taking a step backwards when Anko, who seemed somewhat lost in her work nearly stepped on her feet.

“If you _must_ know, mother is the most intelligent serpent of our nest. She was meant to bond with your father but he preferred grandfather's neverending thirst for mass destruction.” Sira lounged on the back of the couch so Sakura extended her arm, allowing the snakelet to latch onto it and wrap around her shoulder.

“Sounds like the bastard alright.” In what amounted to barely any time at all, Anko had finished the second wall and moved on to the third. Sakura stepped closer, inspecting the seals she had painted onto a white background.

“Aunt Anga has taught you well,” Sira commented after brushing her tongue against the ink, presumably to get a taste. It was how she had gotten a feel for Sakura too, back when they had first met.

“You learned this from the snakes?” Sakura had always assumed that he had been Anko's only teacher. Then again, while he was certainly well-rounded, she had never seen him spend much, if any time on fuinjutsu. He had always specialised in research, ninjutsu and genjutsu instead. Anko didn't reply, too engrossed in her task, so Sira spoke up instead:

“She spent three months with our nest, learning the ways of the snakes and what aunt Anga elected to teach her. As did your father. As will you.” Her heart sped up upon hearing those words. Despite her first and so far only experience with the snakes hadn't exactly been pleasant – she still recalled the fire that had burned her from the inside out and the vivid nightmarish hallucinations she'd had – Sakura's fingers twitched at the prospect of spending months under the tutelage of a summon as mighty and ancient as Ansa. She had always loved learning, studying had become her first passion that had only been encouraged by him. (And whatever she learned would make her stronger and if Sakura needed to be one thing, it was _stronger_.)

“Not yet. She can't afford to go missing for a month,” Anko interjected from the far side of the room. Sakura squinted at the pot that was still filled to the brim. Curious. But-

“I thought it was three.”

“One month on the mortal planes, three months in the summons realms. Time is an abstract concept. We snakes have little patience and prefer if it passes faster,” Sira said with an audible sniff that had Sakura raise her brows. The desire to argue burned on the tip of her tongue but she elected to swallow it when Anko stepped away from the last wall, arched her back and winced at the audible creaking of her joints.

“This,” she declared while gesturing towards the symbols she'd placed on every single wall of her apartment.

“Is a dampening seal. It means those sensors can fuck right off. They can still feel our lifeforce, but not our chakra. As long as that Senju doesn't knock on my door nobody's going to find out either.” Anko returned to the kitchen and disposed of her supplies.

“Why her? Aren't the Yondaime and Jiraiya the fuinjutsu masters?” She'd deliberately dropped the honourfic for the toad sannin and couldn't help but ask herself if _he_ would censor her for it or not.

“Fuinjutsu, yes. Sensors, no. Not exactly common knowledge and the only reason I know is because the bastard told me but according to him she inherited her granduncle's sensor skill. The seal is subtle which is why it's so complex. The more smaller paths you have, the less they show up on a sensor's radar. But even that doesn't help when she literally has her paws all over it.” Sakura, who had never received a single lesson on fuinjutsu in her life since she 'didn't have the right temperament' for it, nodded and filed the information away for later. Especially the part about the slug sannin being the second coming of her granduncle's legendary sensor abilities.

“So I can practise my jutsu?” she asked and received a single nod from Anko as well as an apple the older woman threw at her. Remembering that she hadn't eaten in two days, Sakura greedily bit into it.

“You're more of a swot than I ever was which is good because you're going to study the entire weekend and the next and the next after that.” Anko stopped, an unopened instant ramen cup in her hand, and looked at Sakura. Her eyes were hard and her expression serious so Sakura held her breath and waited.

“One day, you're going to be on your own. And I _will_ make sure you're going to survive it.” Sakura clenched her jaw and gave a sharp nod. Anko was back and Sakura was not alone and would do everything in her power to become strong enough to keep her sister safe and to, one day, reunite with her father, come hell or high water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually put a lot of emphasis on the angsty bits but for once I A) don't feel like it and B) this fits both the characters and narrative much better. Someone raised by Orochimaru wouldn't drown in their angst. They'd get proactive instead. And Anko doesn't believe in wallowing in her fears and regrets; she believes in getting even. (So does Sakura.)


	7. Chapter 7

“Sakura? Please stay behind for a moment.” She froze momentarily, hand curled around the strap of her backpack. Staring at Iruka-sensei, Sakura willed herself into action and ignored the curious looks and whispers she drew from her classmates. She lingered in front of her teacher's desk as one by one the other children left the room. Only once they were all gone and had closed the door behind them, did the chuunin speak up.

“How are you doing? Is everything alright in your home?” She had not expected that. Unable to keep the shock and surprise off her face, Sakura gaped for a moment before catching herself. Schooling her features into a neutral expression, she frowned at the man whose face gave away as much as her own.

“Yes. Why?” He stopped briefly, had not expected her brusque manner and the shortness of her reply. Truth be told, neither had Sakura. But things were different now. Anko was different, had bounced back but sometimes she got that darkness in her eyes, that look that meant that she had more anger in her head than she knew how to handle. At who most of it was directed, Sakura didn't know.

“It's a difficult time. Mitarashi has declined counselling for both of you and you've been quiet and withdrawn, more so than usual. Your grades have dropped.” They had. Sakura remembered looking at her latest report card, glossing over the low percentages without showing much of a reaction. He wasn't around to scold her anymore and it wasn't like she hadn't been ahead of the curriculum for years. She had moved on to higher studies and Anko wasn't one to give a damn about grades. In hindsight, having ever worried about them seemed like such a childish notion.

“I don't need counselling. I'm fine.” She wasn't, not really, but Sakura would rather die before admitting that. What mattered, the only thing that mattered was that she had Anko and was growing a little stronger with each day that passed. She didn't sleep much but still more than her sister who had surrendered her bed to Sakura in favour of sometimes, once a week, napping for an hour or two on the couch. House arrest didn't sit well with Sakura but it sat even worse with Anko.

“You know that you can talk to me, right? It doesn't matter about what. The sins of the father are not the sins of the child.” She couldn't suppress the flinch in time. There was something profoundly wrong with hearing that word come out of someone else's mouth. It was her secret, hers and Anko's to keep. Nobody else was supposed to know. Nobody.

“He was my teacher. I'm fine.” He didn't believe her. Sakura didn't care. Iruka-sensei sighed once, rubbed his forehead, then gestured towards the essay resting on his desk that she had handed in earlier this morning. She'd barely spent more than half an hour on it before abandoning her homework in favour of meditating.

“Just try not to drop any further. I don't want to see your mind wasted on the genin corps simply due to poor graduation marks.” Sakura blinked, then shrugged and turned around. She didn't quite succeed in keeping the bite out of her voice when she replied:

“Isn't that where they're going to send me anyway?” He had no answer to that and when Sakura left him behind, she dug her nails into the strap of her backpack until they hurt. Anko had told her exactly what the standard procedure was for those who were considered 'at risk'. Anko herself had been declared a flight risk which was why she wasn't even allowed to leave her apartment anymore and was under constant supervision.

Sakura herself had gotten a milder sentence but, just as Anko had said, the fact that she had bonded with the snakes was what had tipped the balance, had turned her status from 'possible victim' to 'possible accomplice'. Nobody wanted to believe that an eleven-year-old would have had any part in whatever _he_ had been up to but after finding evidence that he had gone down that particular road when he himself had been thirteen...

According to Anko, the sannin's old teacher, the Sandaime Hokage would have shown more leniency. The Yondaime however, held no old fondness for the snake sannin and wasn't willing to take any chances. Lost in her thoughts she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings as she mindlessly began her journey back to Anko's apartment. She'd made it just past the academy gate before a mask dropped out of a tree and onto the ground in front of her.

“Haruno Sakura. You are to report to the hospital for a general health examination.” She looked at the mask, the red dots and lines, and matched it to a name immediately. Crow. Unconsciously, she bared her teeth.

“No.” Sakura refused to follow this one anywhere and she sure as hell wouldn't let them poke and prod at her out of morbid curiosity regarding what it was _he_ had done to her.

“It wasn't a suggestion. Follow or be taken there against your will.”

“I'm a minor. You can't just abduct me. Anko wouldn't allow that,” she protested, taking a step backwards despite knowing that she wouldn't be able to outrun ANBU.

“Mitarashi Anko has shown poor judgement and decision making in regards to you and your health. The council has revoked her guardianship. You are still permitted to live under her roof but from now on the Yondaime is responsible for you.” What. _What_?! Sakura had no time to express her anger, had been snatched before she could even open her mouth. The world shifted and blurred before it snapped back into focus. Instead of the academy courtyard, she was faced with the white sterile walls of the hospital.

“Get your hands off me!” she hissed and jerked her body, landing smoothly on both feet when the mask finally let her go.

“I hand her over to you, Tsunade-sama. She is most uncooperative,” he drawled, coaxing a furious hiss to escape Sakura's mouth. Not that the mask cared. Between one moment and the next, he was gone, in his place a few isolated leaves that caught fire the second they appeared.

“If you set anything else on fire I will knock you out.” The anger bubbling beneath her skin latched onto this new target as Sakura's head whirled around and she hissed at the blonde sannin. Seemingly unconcerned and dressed in standard doctor's garb, she stood on the other side of the room. Sakura's eyes zeroed in on the syringe in her left hand and she retreated until her back met the wall. There were a bed, a desk and a chair between them and while Sakura knew she stood no chance, that there was nothing she could do, all words of caution Anko had drilled into her head in regards to the remaining two sannin left her mind.

“I do not consent to this!” she snarled and couldn't stop the way the air around her hands warmed, how fire thrummed underneath her skin, ready to break through, itching to run free. Her breath sped up and red crept into her vision as all the rage and fear she'd kept under lock and key, had carried around for weeks, threatened to break out of their prison.

“Tough luck kid, the Yondaime has made the decision for you. Now sit down before I make you.” Sakura could barely hear the woman. Her own heartbeat echoed in her ears as adrenaline flooded her veins, chakra cycled and she couldn't stop it, didn't even want to. She'd had it. Being pushed around, looked down on, the way everyone treated her like a traitor, the way they spoke about _him_ -

“Don't do something you'll regret.” It was too late. Sakura stood in place, harsh breaths giving rise and fall to her chest for exactly four seconds. By the fifth, the world had gone up in flames.

In her dreams, surrounded by smooth scales sliding over her bare skin and thick clouds of smoke and mist painting countless little images into the nothingness, a set of almost glowing golden eyes pierced through the darkness, always watching, always waiting.

“So... you gonna talk about it or do you want me to ask.” Not a question. Sakura bit her teeth and looked to the side, away from Anko who had sat down beside her on the same cold stone bench Sakura hadn't moved away from for hours. Despite being unable to see them, she knew the masks were there. Creeping and crawling in the shadows, nothing but smoke and mirrors behind white masks painted red.

Anko waited patiently, the kind of patience she had only recently acquired. The kind of patience that Sakura hated. It was entirely unnatural. It didn't suit her older sister. It never would. Ignoring his teachings, if only for a single moment, Sakura pulled her legs close to her body and rubbed her hands over her chilly skin.

“I can't get you out of here. Don't know if they told you but the Yondaime's your guardian now. Don't expect much to change. But still. Means you're stuck here until he arrives.” Sakura tried very hard not to flinch at the mention of the name of a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, a combination she had come to loathe more than anything else. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep that thought to herself.

“You really gotta stop setting shit on fire. It's not even your affinity,” Anko sighed and let her head rest against the wall of the cell. A cell Sakura had woken up in with remnants of medical chakra still in her veins. It felt cool and calm, like mint, biting, cold and sharp. She knew exactly who it belonged to and the first thing she'd done after waking up was to meditate until all of it had leaked out of her pathways, faded into the outside world until it broke apart, scattering into the wind.

“I don't want to be here anymore.” The whisper escaped Sakura's lips without her consent. The words were so quiet only Anko could possibly hear them. Now that they were out she felt their full weight settle on her shoulders as she shrunk further into herself, feeling young and terrified and oh so very angry-

“Me neither, kid.” Prisoners in all but name. Mistrusted, watched, followed. All day, every day. Now and forever. Sakura bit her lips so hard it bled and wished, longed with her entire being, for the one man that had abandoned her. A man she had no guarantee she would ever see again.

“It won't get better, will it?” She had set an entire hospital room on fire, burned and charred the interior to ashes quicker than the only female sannin could extinguish the flames. That was what they had told her. Sakura hadn't been conscious for any of it. The woman had made good on her word and knocked Sakura out almost instantly. Her chakra had still flared, still run free and reacted to its owner's emotional outburst.

Anko had told her to be cold and mean. So had he. Yet no matter how hard she tried, Sakura's everything was wearing thin and on the verge of giving out completely. She wore her anger on her sleeve for there was no other place to store it.

“Probably not, no.” Just once, Sakura wished Anko had lied to her. Had played make-believe to carry her through one more day. All her earlier conviction meant nothing anymore. She was too weak, too scared, too young to pretend to be an adult when she really, really wasn't-

“Mitarashi. Haruno.” She flinched at the voice. Sakura refused to raise her head, refused to acknowledge the Yondaime's presence at all. She owed him no respect and certainly no common courtesy.

“Tsunade reported the incident as flaring chakra as a result of an emotional outburst. Because of that, I won't separate you.” Yet. He didn't say it but Sakura heard it nevertheless. One step out of line, just a single toe crossing the invisible barrier, and the man would take Anko from her as well. Sakura swallowed audibly before getting to her feet, eyes firmly looking ahead, past the Hokage.

“Counselling is mandatory now. You have your first appointment in three days. If you don't show up, you will move to the orphanage.” Sakura's hands twitched as her heart skipped a single beat. Anko had seen it as had the Yondaime. Nothing terrified her quite like the prospect of having to go back to the orphanage.

“In addition to that, I expect you to raise your performance in class.” The man paused and Sakura felt his eyes on her even though she still focused the wall on the far side of her temporary cell.

“It's not too late for you. You can get through this and if you work hard, regain the trust of the village. Regain my trust.” His next words caused Anko's fingers that rested on Sakura's shoulder to dig into her flesh until it hurt.

“Both of you can.” No more words were shared as Anko and Sakura followed the Yondaime out of the cell, walked up the stairs and exited the T&I building before being escorted to the apartment by a team of masks.

That neither Anko nor Sakura was interested in coming back from this, merely waited for the day that Orochimaru would come for them, take them home, was better left unsaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of hit a wall with this one. The plot is finished but it's hard to get properly invested. Might take a bit of a break in favour of concentrating on the wips that flow better.
> 
> But, just like with anything else, I won't abandon it. You never know when the mood suddenly strikes.


End file.
